


The Mystery Girl from Beach City

by Mikephisto



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Aftermath, Alternative Perspective, Episode: s04e09 Last One Out of Beach City, Essentially the morning after LOooBC Mystery Girl reflects on the night before, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-09 14:30:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10414272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikephisto/pseuds/Mikephisto
Summary: Mystery girl. cherry pink hair. Alabaster skin. Some sort of forehead decoration. She’s a creature of contradiction: Too fantastic to be real, too defined to be imagined.You gave her your phone number, but she never gave you her name…Was she conjured from the depths of the subconscious? Or was the mystery girl from Beach City real?





	1. Prologue: The Next Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheena wakes up the morning after meeting a mysterious woman at a show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, late authors note because i initially posted this at 4 am and didn't have the time nor patience to add an author's note then. I've been working on this fic in some form or another since Last One out of Beach City first aired. A good first fic to post on this site I hope.
> 
> EDIT: I fixed a few typos and changed some paragraph spacing. Also added what was the beginning of Chapter 2 here so things flowed better. Chapter 2 is coming soon.

Sheena woke up with a hangover.

 

No, that didn’t describe it.

 

Sheena woke up with tiny people kicking and screaming inside her skull. She groggily opened her eyes partially in a half-dazed state with a vice clamping on her temples and a jackhammer digging into her forehead.

_Go back to sleep. Sleep it off._

She closed her eyes and tried to not acknowledge the pain. A sudden, sharp noise pierced her eardrums. _Morning Alarm._ Her phone vibrated and blared some song she couldn’t bother to name at the moment. It danced and sang on the edge of the coffee table until Sheena reached over and shut it off. That annoyance over, she tried to go back to sleep.

 

After five minutes trying to sleep in vain, she slowly raised herself off the couch. If she couldn’t sleep, she should at least get some coffee. Maybe even breakfast if she could stomach it.

 

Step.

 

Step.

 

Step.

 

Step.

 

 _No. Bad Idea._ Head still throbbing. Walking didn’t help.

Sheena stumbled. It took great effort not to collapse, crumple up like paper on the ground. After finally reaching the kitchen, she opted not to make coffee. She needed water. Grab a glass. Reach the sink. Pour some water. Downed the water in one shot. It was cold and offered some relief. Pour another glass of water. Quick rummaging through the medicine cabinet yields two ibuprofen. Sheena sat at the table and downed the painkillers. Despite having just taken the Ibuprofen, Sheena was already feeling slightly better. Barely. But hey, a fraction of one percent improvement counts as improvement, right? Progress!

The beeping of a secondary alarm on her phone grabbed her attention. Sheena looked at her phone and realized she had been awake for half an hour already. The Ibuprofen had started to kick in and she wasn’t in danger of face planting just for standing up anymore so… breakfast?

Of course now that she was no longer in excruciating pain, she was fully aware that her surroundings were not her surroundings. Specifically, not her apartment. Seems like she had crashed on someone else’s couch, probably the same house of last night’s show. Was this Ian’s house? It sure as hell wasn’t Mike Krol’s house, he didn’t live in Delmarva. She didn’t even know who lived here. _Shit._  Now feeling really self-conscious, Sheena was hesitant to rummage through the cabinets to concoct a breakfast.

 

_Maybe it would be best to see if anyone was home._

 

No sooner had Sheena stepped out of the kitchen and into the front hall did she notice the note.

 

> Hey Sheena,
> 
> Allie and I have gone to work.  
> Help yourself to breakfast,  
> I have pancakes in the freezer.  
> Just clean up your mess and  
> leave by 12 please. Thanks.
> 
> —Ben

 

Ah, so that’s who’s house it was. Mike’s friend Ben. Animator guy. Made those shorts about the ladies in prison.

Sheena returned to the kitchen. Microwaving store bought pancakes was not the same as cooking fresh ones butthey were fine for when circumstances called for them. Put three pancakes in for one minute fifteen seconds and the microwave reads one minute twenty seconds. Of course the microwave only increases seconds by increments of 10. Five extra seconds won’t change a thing. Press start.

While waiting for the pancakes and to regain some sense of normality, she finds herself reflecting on the events of the night before.

 

Cycling.

 

Rest Stops.

 

Police.

 

Party.

 

Music.

 

Drinking.

 

_Her…_

 

Mystery Girl. cherry pink hair. Alabaster skin. Some sort of forehead decoration. A Bindi? No, too large. Jeans and a Leather Jacket shed to reveal much more pastel clothing. Fumbling, then forward. An outlaw outrunning police and an absolute nerd asking about hair dye. Awkwardly holds her hand out before she even says hello, but flirts like poetry, claims to be a being of light. She’s a creature of contradiction: Too fantastic to be real, too defined to be imagined.

_You gave her your number, but she never gave you her name…_

Was she imagined though? Was she conjured from the depths of the subconscious? Or was the mystery girl from Beach City real?

 

The microwave beeps. Back to reality. Breakfast is served. Butter. Syrup. Fork… No butter knife. Steak knife is fine in a pinch. As she dug into her food, Sheena once again found her mind drifting back to the mystery girl. Last night was mostly a bunch of hazy memories. But she can clearly envision the mystery girl to a degree. But there were a few gaps in what Sheena could remember from last night.

 _Think back._ _Try to remember exactly what happened when you met the mystery girl…  
_

Thinking back on last night was hard. It was still a bit of a haze. Sheena had already been up for several before making the two and a half hour ride to Ocean Town. And that stop in Beach City was where things started to seem unclear. Her mind was not as alert as she thought it was that night. Some details didn’t add up. One of the mystery girl’s companions might have been purple? And it did seem coincidental their destination was the same. Also the mystery girl somehow changed her entire outfit by the time she arrived at the party. She never even gave her name. All signs point to a sleep deprived illusion.

That was a disappointing thought.

 

_You gave her your number._

 

The thought struck Sheena like a lightning bolt. Immediately she began to rummage through her pockets to find it.

Right jacket pocket. Nothing

Left jacket pocket. Pen

Right pant pocket. Wallet. Paper inside. _Yes there it is!_  

Sheena pulled out the receipt. Unfolding it revealed that an inch on the bottom had been torn off. She remembered ripping off the sliver of receipt to write her name and number. Sheena gave it to the mystery girl. She was real.

 

_Okay, no. Let’s not get ahead of yourself. You gave your number out to someone, but that doesn’t mean it was her. But why give it to anyone else?_

 

Sheena took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. She wasn’t going to get anywhere arguing with herself. She needed to focus on what happened last night, and taking things step by step was the best option. Okay. But where to even start?

Perhaps start with the drive from Charm City to Beach City...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References:
> 
> Ian is a nod to Ian Jones-Quartey, the writer of the long gone webcomic RPG World, former supervising director of Steven Universe, creator of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, and a recurring background character on Steven Universe who was most notably felled by Guacola in Drop Beat Dad.
> 
> Ben is a reference to Steven Universe writer Ben Levin. Both his friendship to Mike Krol and creating the animated webseries Doris & Mary-Anne Are Breaking Out Of Prison are mentioned by Sheena here. Also namedropped in Ben's note is his signicicant other Allie Splain, Production Coordinator of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes and the producer of Doris and Mary-Anne Are Breaking Out of Prison.


	2. Flashback: Last Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheena goes over the events of last night to the best of her ability.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer than expected. Partially because writing the situation around existing events was harder than just making up events. Partially because real life stuff takes precedence over fanfic writing. On the plus side, the extra time helped me decide exactly where I was gonna take this fic.

 

To say Sheena started at Charm City might have been misleading. Sheena left from Luckyton, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Charm City. She had been a resident of an apartment there for a couple of years now, having gained just enough financial independence to live on her own should she drop out of Delmarva State University. Wallet. Keys. Phone. Helmet. Apartment locked. Check phone notes. Ben's address is 426 Bay Avenue, Ocean Town.  _Alright._ Garage. Motorcycle. Ignition.  _Ready to go._  

As Sheena was about to leave, there was one concern that crossed her mind and that was riding fatigue. Ocean Town was a two hour drive from Luckyton. Sure she's driven her cycle far before, but riding fatigue was never something Sheena had to worry about previously. Her hometown of Silver Spring was just a little over half an hour away from her Luckyton Apartment. Any longer trip she'd make more regular pit stops, but she didn't have that luxury at this rate if she didn't want to miss the show. Why was she even worrying about this? Most cases of fatigue were after days of driving with little rest, not hours. Though Sheena wasn’t exactly well rested before setting out on this ride. Working two shifts, going to class, and a few other obligations made sure of that.

Sheena brushed off any concern she had. _It’ll be fine._

Ride south east.

Pass by Crabtown.

Cross the Chesapeake Bridge.

Pay toll.

Continue on Buddwick Highway.

Ride east.

 

Ride.

 

Focusing on the road, the directions, and on staying alert make the first half of the trip uneventful. Despite being dull, an hour of riding seemed to fly by. But things would not stay that way for long. Around Echo City, right about the halfway point, Sheena was starting to feel the effects of fatigue. Turns out not sleeping before a two hour ride actually was a stupid idea.

_Need a pick me up._

Sheena kept her eyes peeled for a motorist service sign for an exit with a coffeeshop. Or a fast food joint that served Coffee. Anything would do. Soon enough one of those blue signs popped up. And the dining options were… Pepe’s Burgers. And that was it. _Ugh. Pass._

Not that Pepe’s Burgers was a bad chain. It sort of was, but only in that all fast food chains tend to be unhealthy food as a compromise for quick and cheap service. No, for fast food though, Pepe’s Burgers was just fine. But fast food coffee was not the way to go. They set the temperature far above safe limits (though well within legal ones) so that it remains hot for a long time, and that can cause some serious burns. There was that whole court case about the woman with severe burns so bad she needed skin grafts. When she sued Pepe’s Burgers it hit the news and was so distorted by the media it became a poster-child for frivolous lawsuits. New safety standards or not, Sheena decided to pass on the Pepe’s Burgers Coffee.

Pepe’s did have some good burgers though. For fast food, that is. That should be a caveat for all praise. Good for fast food. Except maybe the freestyle cola machines, but those were slowly starting to crop up all over the place. Then there was that ridiculous jingle they’ve had for, what, twenty years now? Thirty?

 

 _From the moment the meat hits the flame  
_ _my stomach is growling without any— **Damn it!**_

 

That stupid jingle was stuck in her head. And she wanted a burger. _Well I missed the exit. Inaction beats impulse!_ While Inaction was good at curbing impulse, it wasn’t particularly useful when Sheena needed to get something to keep her going. It probably was for the best she stop at the next exit no matter what the options. they were bound to have some coffee no matter what, no need to be picky. A service sign loomed in the distance, slowly becoming visible as the motorcycle got closer.

Next exit was… a Pequod’s. Yes! What a stroke of Luck. Well, probably not. There were over eleven thousand Pequod’s Coffeehouses all over the country.

Exit 109. Sheena wasn’t really paying attention to where she was and had forgotten the name of the town by the time she left. She just made a beeline for the coffeehouse and parked her cycle in the lot. Key turn. Engine off. Helmet off. As she did this, her hair exploded in every which direction. _Helmet hair. No comb nor brush on hand._ Sheena quickly shaped her hair with her hands and then entered the coffeeshop.

The Pequod’s was almost empty. What a stroke of luck. Ordered a cup of coffee. Barista was nice. Cute too. Pay. Handed back change and receipt. Wait. Order up. Head over and add some cream and sugar. Take a seat. Let it cool a bit. Drink. Sheena checked her phone for messages. Take a sip. Her hand slips. The coffee falls.

Sheena just narrowly avoided spilling coffee on herself. Sheena could feel the heat radiating from the coffee and see the steam rise. It had just occurred to Sheena that during the Pepe's Coffee Case one of their defenses was that Pequod's also kept their coffee machines piping hotter than necessary too. _Not the best time to remember that factoid._  Good thing she just spilt some on the table. This was embarrassing. Or it would have been if anyone had noticed. A quick glance around seemed to confirm that nobody noticed. No, wait. The barista noticed. Sheena muttered a curse under her breath and furiously wiped down the spill. After she was done, Sheena checked to see if there were any more she missed. Seemed some of it spilt on her jacket. _To the restroom._

Sheena went to the sink and rinsed the coffee spill with water. After making sure there was no stain she dabbed the spot with paper towels. the spill was now mostly dry, but a bit damp. No problem. She tied her jacket around her waist, showing off her old Ratcat shirt. Well, technically her dad’s old Ratcat shirt. He gave it to her for 16th birthday after he caught her borrowing it and wearing it to school to impress her friends. Sheena smiled and rolled up the sleeves. But she didn’t have time to stand in the restroom and reminisce all night.

Exiting the restroom, Sheena contemplated getting another cup of coffee. There wasn’t a line. _You want to get another cup after you embarrassed yourself?_ She looked at the time on her phone. It would take another hour to get to Ocean Town. Hour and forty five minutes if there was major traffic. Considering the show would begin in an hour and fifteen minutes or so It would be best to get a move on. She downed the remaining coffee, threw out the cup, and went outside.

Helmet on. Engine roaring. Sheena took off into the evening light. It should be night by the time she got to Ben’s house. _I should be able to make it the rest of the way just fine._

 

Turns out she wasn’t able to make it the rest of the way just fine. About a half an hour from her destination and the effects of fatigue began to set in again. Having had only half a cup of coffee might have been better than nothing, but it only got Sheena so far. And it was stupid not to buy a second cup. _You were too worried about looking like an idiot to order one._ Sheena pushed on.

Take the 95 south.

After a few minutes She couldn’t ignore the fatigue. Glancing at an upcoming service sign revealed that the next exit had a Big Donut. _That's passable._

Pull off at Delmarva Route 1a. Welcome to Beach City.

Beach City was slightly out of the way from Ocean Town, but it was close enough that it wouldn’t be too far out of the way. Small town. Even though The Big Donut she was looking for was on the other side of town It didn’t take long to find. Even if it did take longer, it wouldn't matter. Sheena made better time than she expected to. She'd be at the show on time. First thing's first, she needed more coffee.

The Big Donut. Sheena was not a fan of their coffee, but Beach City did not have a Pequod’s Coffeehouse. It was either Big Donut or risk fatigued driving. Not a permanent solution, mind you, but good enough to get to Ocean Town. There was only one other vehicle in the parking lot. A 1992 Dondai Supremo XL. It had a bumper sticker on the window that read DAD ON BOARD. Clearly the car of a man with a mid-life crisis. Here's hoping he didn't hit on her.

Sheena removed her helmet. Once again, riding for hours had resulted in a bad case of helmet hair. This time, instead of fixing her hair before entering the store, Sheena just performed a hair-flip as she entered. Her eyes were half closed betraying how tired she was. Inside the store there seemed to be no employees at the counter. Instead, standing by the refrigerators there were three other customers. A kid in a red shirt with a star, a cute punk girl in a leather jacket, and a shorter girl that—

Wait.

The shorter girl was purple?

Did Sheena imagine that? Was her memory wrong?

Were there even people with purple skin? like a disease or something? She could have been wearing body paint, but that seemed pretty even spread. Perhaps Sheena was misremembering. She had been driving on the road for hours at that point, and events did seem slightly surreal after she arrived in Beach City that night.

 

Of course when Sheena had entered the Big Donut she was exhausted. She barely noticed the three strangers, let alone that one was purple. Even the mystery girl that now ensnared her mind was unremarkable when Sheena first laid eyes upon her.

Not unremarkable in a bad way, mind you. Sure she was cute, but she was just another customer at this donut shop. For a chain Sheena didn’t care for. _She was gonna go off on her own way once you left the shop. She wasn’t going to chase after you._ She wouldn’t have made any lasting impression at all if she hadn’t almost made you spill your coffee a second time that night.

Sheena made a beeline to the coffee maker. It was a retail electric coffeemaker, nothing like the giant machines most Pequod's had. Even other Big Donuts had better than this rinky-dink thing. _At least it won't be hot enough to melt my flesh... probably._ She poured herself a cup, added sugar, and stirred. Suddenly the cups next to her began to clatter. This time however she was fast enough to avoid spilling her coffee. She turned to look at the culprit and there she stood. The thin pale stranger stood there awkwardly with her arms crossed. It almost looked as if she literally had two right hands. Wow all the travel must really be messing with my perception. The girl smiled apologetically at Sheena.

Sheena just took her coffee and left. No time for embarrassment. Sheena drank her coffee in peace by her motorcycle. It took about a minute chugging the cup once it cooled. looking around the parking lot, she noticed the Dondai was gone. Was it their car?  If that girl owned the car, what was up with the Dad on board sticker then?  _It doesn't matter, you dodged that awkwardness._ Once Sheena was on the road she realized she forgot to pay for her coffee. Whoops.

_Look, you’ll be at the show in less than 10 minutes. Stop worrying. Just ride._

 

Sheena rode down the highway until she pulled alongside the only other car on the road. the car was going a bit slow, she should be able to pass it before the light up ahead changed. It was just a Dondai Supremo after… wait a minute.

The car she was driving next to was a 1992 Dondai Supremo LX. _It couldn’t be the same one from the Big Donut, could it?_ Sheena glanced at the driver. Sure enough, it was the punk klutz from the Big Donut. The girl awkwardly shot Sheena a look.

Sheena smiled back. The girl looked flustered, blushing like some repressed nerd. Cute. 

_Too bad it was the last time you’d see each other. It wasn’t like she was going to chase after you._

_Or was she?_

Sheena smirked as she gunned her cycle past the traffic light.

_Chase me._

 

Within thirty seconds Sheena realized the girl wasn’t right behind her. _Did you really expect her to chase after you?_

Ah well, perhaps it was for the best. Sheena slowed her speed slightly. A frown materialized on her face. Was she even interested in you? Maybe you’re just seeing signals that aren’t there? But the sound of an approaching engine begged to differ. Sheena’s smirk slowly emerged. It could have been any car, but if it was her’s then it was on.

Suddenly the Dondai Supremo sped past. So she did chase after you after all. _She wants a chase? I’ll give her a—_

A police car barreled after the old car, lights piercing the night.

_Woah. Okay._

Thank goodness Sheena waited before giving chase or she’d be in so much trouble. That punk girl probably wasn’t going to be as lucky. Sheena took the first exit off the highway. She could take the back roads to Ocean Town, it wasn’t that far. Last thing she wanted to see was the girl being arrested for a chase that she started.

 

It did not take long to reach 426 Bay Avenue. Sheena arrived in time to see Team Krol, as the band members were known, setting up their equipment in the garage. Front and center was the eponymous Mike Krol setting up his mic. Sheena took a moment to try recall the other members of Team Krol. There was bassist Phil Mahlstadt, lead guitarist Elliott Kozel, and drummer Michael Sienkowski. They were all members of the defunct indie band Sleeping in the Aviary. Guitarist Erik Duerr may have also been a member? or at least associated? She couldn't remember. Then there was Andy Brawner. Sheena did not know if he played any instruments in the band or not. She's seen photos of him with a bass guitar, but he was credited as "moral support." Perhaps he was a backup bassist? Whatever the case, she was pretty sure that was all of them. Besides the sound engineer, Beau Sorenson, but Sheena doubted they's need a sound engineer live. And looking at these Team Krol members setting up, Sheena realized one thing:

None of those band members she recalled were here now.

Sure she didn't need to know who was who to enjoy the show, but it still irked her not knowing. Okay. Sheena wracked her brain once again for names. Pretty sure the drummer was Justin John Krol, Mike Krol's older brother. That guy with the long dark hair and beard was Andy Silverman. Pretty sure he wrote for a blog that searched for the best chicken wings. The bald guitarist with the beard was Sean Lango. Currently he was taping up a flag of Mike Krol’s logo: a single bar note wrapped in breaking chains. The fourth person was... Quinn? Sheena really was at the end of what knowledge she had. Well, close enough.

Having taken enough time trying to parse out who's who, Sheena said hello to a few friends, went inside to greet other friends, and shared some small talk with them. She noted where the refreshments were located and took a moment to relieve herself in the bathroom. After that was taken care of she went outside to mill about until things began. Not long after, Mike Krol kicked off the show. The set began with "Like A Star." This was one of the smaller stops on Mike Krol’s latest tour, with upcoming stops in Keystone and Empire before heading into Canada. The setlist was mostly old stuff from _I Hate Jazz_ and _Trust Fund_. Just one song from the newer album, _Turkey_. That’s okay. She had yet to pick up a copy so not hearing the new stuff live wasn’t a big loss.

 

" _Four point Two Lightyears away_

 _I was slow to begin, but I'm ready to fade_..."

 

_Funny. I think that was the song the punk nerd was listening to right before the fiasco with the chase._

Sheena’s phone buzzed. It was a text from a friend asking if Sheena got to the show safely. There was a back and forth of texts for about a minute. Then, while waiting for a reply to a question she asked, Sheena realized there was someone was standing right by her. She peeled her eyes from the phone to see…

Oh, it was the girl from the Big Do-

 

_Woah._

Sheena looked the girl up and down. Gone was the awkward punk nerd and instead was a luminous being with an arm extended towards her. The mystery girl’s jeans and jacket were gone. instead she was wearing a bright pastel outfit, a something like a ballerina’s outfit.

 _Are you just going to let her stand there with her arm outstretched?_ As she shook her hand, the girl smiled. And Sheena felt herself smiling back.

After the handshake, her posture shifted from a steadfast angel to a more relaxed state. Yet she still held herself with such grace. The mystery girl was about to speak. Whatever she was about to say would probably be the most profound first words anyone has ever said to Sheena.

 

“How did you color your hair?”

…Wow, what a letdown. Not even a hello. Rude. Wait, no, hold on, was this a pick-up line? _Don’t just stand there gawking, answer her!_

“The usual, store brand. temporary, nothing permanent. How’d you color yours?” Sheena blurted out

“My appearance is just a conscious manifestation of light.” The Mystery Girl replied.

Damn it, she was flirting! And she was pretty poetic. _Okay you managed not to look like a complete fool, now say something clever._

“I know how that is.” Sheena said flipping her hair out of her face.

_…Wow Sheena, that was the best you could come up with?_

The Mystery Girl let out one of those laughs. The sort of ones that can be genuine but seem more sarcastic. _You’re blowing this Sheena._

“By the way, I saved your planet, and your species, and you’re welcome.”

Sheena chuckled. The Mystery Girl either didn’t notice her blunder or didn’t care because she just kept on flirting. _Well let’s not give myself a chance to mess up again._

 

Sheena took out her receipt from Pequod’s and tore a piece off. Pen out of her jacket pocket. Scribbled her name and number while resting the paper on her arm. She then handed the strip to the cute woman. _Good. You didn’t mess it up._

After giving the mystery girl her number, Sheena walked off to get another cup of coffee. If she was going to be up to socialize she was going to need another pick me up. Can’t exactly flirt while you’re asleep. As she entered the house, she could hear the next song in the set, Fifteen Minutes, begin to play.

And the coffeepot had… just a sliver of coffee left. She poured what was left into a paper cup. one quarter of a cup had coffee in it. a quick look in the cabinet revealed the dire truth… this was the last of the coffee. Right, a trip to the nearest convenience store was called for. Maybe the mystery girl would like to tag along…

Except once Sheena returned to where the mystery girl had stood moments before, she was gone. _Vanished like a ray of light that followed the setting sun._ Sheena chuckled. _I could be poetic too miss conscious manifestation of light._

 

No big deal, Sheena would find the girl again after she returned with coffee. She made her way to her motorcycle. Key in ignition. Cycle revved up. In that moment a thought struck her.

She had just walked off after giving out her number. Didn’t say where she was off to, didn’t tell the mystery girl to stick around. Just walked off and expected her to still be there. _Idiot!_ _In trying not to make another mistake you just wander off!_

Sheena strapped on her helmet. Just take a quick ride to the convenience store. Find her again when you get back.

_Don’t worry about it right now._

 

Except as She sped by the Ocean Town homes, worries were all that came to mind. _Did I put down my name? Please tell me I wasn’t stupid enough to forget to put down my own name._

No, stop. Sheena took a deep breath. Then exhaled slowly. _Worry about that later._

The convenience store was in sight. Just park, buy coffee, and go. The sooner Sheena returned to the show, the sooner she could reconnect with her.

 

_Why would she even want to reconnect with you? After all the trouble you caused? Stealing coffee? Getting her chased by the cops?_

 

The realization hit like a brick wall as she cut the ignition. Sheena must have looked like a complete fool to the girl.

 

_You’re worried that you looked like a fool? Serves you right for labeling her a klutz earlier. It’s a bit hypocritical that you’re hoping that she is willing to look past your embarrassing blunder. She had the confidence to walk up to you after she embarrassed herself twice? And You’re afraid that she won’t take you seriously? You should be ashamed for assuming she is as petty as you are._

 

Oh. Sheena face palmed as she begun to realize how much of a jerk she’s been. Not just in thought, but in action. Well then, It was time to set things right. First thing Sheena was going to do when she got back was apologize. Then she was going to try and not be a friggin' tool when talking to the cute punk nerd.

Helmet hair again. She didn’t even bother trying to fix it. As a result she entered the convenience store looking like a revenant, a ghoul with a fix for coffee. okay maybe she didn’t look that bad, but she felt that disheveled. Things in the convenience store went fast. Cup of coffee for now, a can for back at the house. Made sure to pay this time.

Loitering by her cycle for a few minutes drinking her coffee, Sheena did her best not to think of past mistakes but tried to imagine how she’d talk to the mystery girl. Nothing was coming to mind. Eventually she finished her cup of coffee and decided to just wing it. Couldn't mess up any worse than she already had, right?

 

The ride back to 426 Bay Avenue was uneventful. The newly bought can was placed next to the coffee maker. She could have made a new pot of coffee. Probably should have too. But she was awake now. And there was a cooler of booze outside. _I could stand to steel my nerves a bit._

From the point she cracked open that first cold one, events began to become less solid. Sure she remembers Mike Krol playing more songs. She missed “Cease and Desist” and “Modern Furniture,” but caught the end of “Red Minivan.” She spent “A Million Times” searching for the mystery girl surreptitiously before taking a more active search as Team Krol got through the final song of the set (And the only song from _Turkey_ ) “Less Than Together.” But there was no sign of her. Perhaps someone else here knew where she went?

Now that Mike Krol had finished his set for the night, he was mingling with with guests, talking with Ben and some other guy about Jawbreaker or Rancid. Ben’s significant other Allie, who worked in production for animation studios, was chatting with Ian, a webcomic writer who had made the transition to animator. Also nearby was Brian, another friend of Krol’s and a traveling artist. He would often sketch the bands and crowds of shows he went to. Maybe he sketched the Mystery Girl during the show.

 _Only one way to find out._ Sheena downed the rest of her drink, then grabbed another bottle.

 

Sure enough, upon asking to see [the sketch](https://68.media.tumblr.com/6ab170bf4873d916a62084fdefbbbd89/tumblr_od7cj55wcG1ta3d4mo1_1280.jpg), Sheena saw the Mystery Girl rendered in ink on bottom right of the second page. She asked Brian if he knew who the Mystery Girl was, but Brian was as clueless as she was. After asking around seemed to the common answer. Nobody here seemed to know her. Not Amber, nor Danny, nor Jeff. Heck not even the other members of Team Krol knew. At this point though, Team Krol was starting to pack. Scanning the dwindling crowd, Sheena spotted Ben and Ian, two people that she had yet to question, having finished their earlier conversations.

 

“…So Matt and I have been helping him write his guidebook.” Ben finished telling Ian a story it seemed.

“Yeah, that sounds like Ronaldo.” Ian chuckled

“Speaking of Beach City though, I thought Mr. Universe was going to drop by.”

“Amethyst said he couldn’t make it.”

“Who?”

“Amethyst. You know, Vidalia’s friend. The short purple one.”

“Oh yeah, her.”

 

_Short? Purple?_

 

“Do you know who her friend was?” Sheena blurted out.

“Huh?” Ian was caught off guard by the question.

“The thin pale girl she arrived with.”

“Oh, her. Yeah I don’t know her. I’m pretty sure they live in Beach City, though. I’ve seen them there before.”

“Thanks.” Sheena said.

 

Well, there was a Mystery Girl. Other guests corroborated her existence and Sheena had to have given her number to somebody. But the mystery girl was nowhere to be found. And things still didn’t add up. Did she imagine the pastel outfit? Was she the same awkward but cute girl at the donut shop and that radiant being stuff just Sheena’s sleep deprived mind?

_Does it matter? She left._

_You left her, you dolt. You expect her to stick around after giving her your number and just walking off?_

Sheena finished her drink.

 _She may not have even been into you. She could have just been trying to make a friend._ In retrospect, the line about being made of light was looking less like a pickup line and more like some new age philosophy or something. Heck, she may even have a husband, if the “Dad on Board” sticker on the window is to be believed.

Wow, that’s just great. She caused that girl so much trouble all because she thought the girl was cute and flirting with her. _Way to be a self-centered jerk, Sheena. Good Job._

 

It was just then she tripped on nothing and nearly face planted into the grass. The alcohol had taken its toll. Sure 2 bottles of beer wasn’t unreasonable, she normally had a great tolerance. _Normally._ Not in a sleep deprived and caffeinated state of being. Add to that the mood whiplash from flirt to fear and Sheena’s body felt overclocked.

“I need to go lie down.” Sheena told Allie before stepping inside. Well, not exactly stepping. Each step was less of a walk and more a component of a stumble that failed to reach it’s inevitable conclusion.

 

   Sheena was too tired andthe drinking didn’t help. her vision was getting

hazy. The world began to feel off as her buzz morphed into being sloshed.

 

        Details were gone.

 

                        Memory was scarce

 

                                                                   What she did remember was      broken up

 

                Sheena wasn’tfeeling good.

 

 

 

Step.

 

 

S t e p .

 

 

 

Step.

 

 

T **h i** n g s

 

 

get **t** in _g_

 

 

h **a** r d _e r_ t o

 

 

F o _c_ u s

 

o n .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

haze

 

 

 

_blur_

 

 

 

**dark**

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheena woke up with a hangover…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ratcat was the name of the band on Sheena’s shirt in Lauren Zuke’s concept art. They’re based on the 90’s Connecticut punk band Kitty Badass. Lauren Zuke would borrow their dad’s Kitty Badass shirt and wear it to impress their friends.
> 
> Pequod’s Coffeehouse is SU’s Starbucks. IRL the company was almost called Pequod’s after the ship from Moby Dick but the founders did not like how that sounded and named the company after the First Mate of the Pequod instead. Most SU renames will be based on real life alternatives whenever possible.
> 
> Adding to the Ben Levin, Allie Splain, and Ian Jones Quartey namedrops from Chapter 1 are some Crewniverse alum whose Background Characters are in Last One Out of Beach City: Amber Cragg, Danny Hynes, and Jeff Liu. Also namedropped is Brian Butler. Brian is an artist friend of Mike Krol and has a project, Show Drawn, that features drawings of live shows including Last One Out of Beach City itself seen here:
> 
> http://showdrawn.tumblr.com/post/150134127236/stoked-that-my-good-bud-mikekrol-is-making-a
> 
> The information on Mike Krol and his bandmates are accurate info as best i could find. I didn't want details to get too personal or speculative though. All songs and albums mentioned are actual songs and albums.
> 
> The guidebook Ben is telling Ian about is the Keep Beach City Weird book. According to Ronaldo's blog Ben Levin and Matt Burnett were Koala Princess forum members that helped compile his research into a book. little nods like this help with worldbuilding immensely.
> 
> Luckyton is a play off Charm City (Lucky Charms, get it?) and is essentially Towson in approx. Glen Burnie’s physical location. Silver Spring remains the same. Crabtown is Annapolis as Charm City is Baltimore (the city nicknames are their names now).
> 
> Lastly (but certainly not least), thanks to AceyEnn for help with determining the address of the house from LOOoBC. Freeze framing found just 426 easily enough, but determining a bunch of pixels on a street sign to read Bay Ave? That is fantastic attention to detail and i'm glad we found it.


	3. Back to Now: Answering the Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheena gets a call from the Mystery Girl... Immediately after reminiscing about the events of the previous night. That was fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was easier to write than last as i no longer had to reverse engineer the episode’s events, but took longer to make because I had trouble finding the time to write. Still, I wasn’t idle re: work on this fic. What initially began as me winging it solely on the strength of the premise (Pearl is the Mystery Girl for Sheena and exploring how such a perception evolves) became a story i have a tighter grasp on. I also hope to produce more than a chapter every 6 or so months like the last 3 feel like they’ve been.

Okay, now that she was looping into the events of this morning, Sheena realized that she could stop thinking back and start planning ahead. After all, she had quite the drive back to Luckyton ahead of her. And hey, maybe the Mystery Girl would call back within a week.

 

A blaring sound of a default ringtone brought Sheena’s attention to her cell phone.

 

She almost declined the call instinctively. But when she noticed caller id read **BEACH CITY** , she paused. _Could this be her calling already? Or was it just a telemarketer or scammer? What’s the worst that could happen, you hang up on some creep or recorded message? It could be her. Go for it!_

 

A quick tap on the interface and the call was accepted.

 

“Hello?” Sheena asked. She did not need to wait long for a reply.

 

“Why did you color your hair?” That was her voice all right. Dorky but charming. Still, something about this reply was throwing Sheena off. The Mystery Girl was foregoing any pleasantries, not even identifying herself. Instead she just jumps to asking about hair again. And maybe Sheena’s memory was still hazy, but didn’t she ask this exact question last night?

 

“Uh… didn’t you ask me that exact question last night?”

 

“No, I asked how. Silly of me really, Steven already explained it was some goop from a store and I wanted to ask why you’d put some slimy substance in your human scalp just to change the color of your hair.”

 

Sheena was speechless.

 

“Hello?” The Mystery Girl asked.

 

_Now she says hello. After she's already stumbled headfirst into this conversation. Real winner here Sheena, way to crush on the awkward mom._

 

Sheena took a second to refocus and clear any judgement (be it of herself or of the mystery girl) from her mind.

 

“I dyed my hair because I felt like it.” Sheena said, not sure what else to say. It wasn’t like it was some brazen act of rebellion, it was just a cool hair color.

 

“Oh.” The Girl replied. “Alright.”

 

There was an awkward silence for about fifteen seconds.

 

 

Probably less than fifteen seconds but almost certainly more than ten seconds.

 

  
So last night,” Sheena broke the silence, “You disappeared after I gave you my number.”

 

“Well, I watched the show for a few songs before I started walking to the nearest gas station. Our car ran out of fuel and ceased functioning after we had evaded the authorities.”

 

“Oh.” Sheena shuffled in her chair “Sorry about that.”

 

“About what?”

 

“…Starting a chase that got you hounded by the cops. That wouldn’t have happened if i hadn’t goaded you into a riding off into the night after me.”

 

“I fail to see how you caused that.” The Woman said, incredulous to Sheena’s claims to the contrary. “After all, I made the choice to ride off into the night after you, and it certainly was the right choice.”

 

The way she said that last part was so matter of fact, yet… warm, almost jovial. it made Sheena blush a little.

 

 

Silence again. Sheena cleared her throat.

 

“I’m sorry. Amethyst insisted I call as soon as I could, but I really didn’t think through what I wanted to say.” The Mystery Girl spoke up suddenly.

 

“I see..." Sheena didn't know what to make of this. The woman called much sooner than Sheena expected she would, but to hear her say this it felt as if her... friend? Daughter? Whoever coaxed her into calling quicker than intended. Sheena thought over her next words carefully. "And calling as soon as you could was the next morning?”

 

“Actually I called immediately after Amethyst suggested I do so just minutes ago.” She clarified.

 

Okay, that was even stranger. At the mere suggestion of calling, the Mystery Girl dropped everything to call... even while knowing she wasn't prepared yet.

 

“Clearly, you haven’t done something like this in a while.” Sheena chuckled.

 

“No, I haven’t.” The Woman said. Her words carried an unspoken pain. _Single mother, hasn’t dated for a while... Going to guess divorcee._

 

“Well we can start by picking a date for our date.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m asking you out, silly.”

 

“Well… Yes, I understood that.” She sputtered. There was a 100% certainty the nerd was blushing. “But… I mean, where?

 

“Well, you know Beach City better than I do, where do you think we should go?” Sheena asked. Getting back into the swing of things was clearly difficult for this woman, so Sheena was trying to be as patient and careful as possible.

 

“The Big Donut?” The Mystery Girl suggested. _Wow, how romantic._ There was some incomprehensible muttering on the other end before she spoke up again: “I mean, we should meet up at the Big Donut and decide where to go from there.”

 

“Smooth save, you big nerd.” Sheena snarked aloud before realizing _she just said that aloud._

 

_Nice job blowing it before it even began you stupid—_

 

Unexpectedly, the big nerd just chortled in response. She didn't seem insulted by the slip of the tongue.

 

“Next Saturday at noon work?” Sheena was quick to add, trying to recover and move forward before making any other stupid mistakes.

 

“That is a suitable day.” The Woman seemed ecstatic on the other end.

 

“Great,” Sheena sighs with relief. “I’ll call if I’m running late.”

 

“You’ll be able to contact me?”

 

“…Yeah, I’ll just save your number in my contacts list.”

 

“Well that might be difficult. I don’t even have a number.”

 

Sheena chuckled. _More coy flirting, miss “conscious manifestation of light?” Okay, I’ll bite._

 

“Then how are you calling me?” Sheena raised an eyebrow and asked.

 

“I’m borrowing Steven’s phone. I don’t have one of my own.” The Mystery Girl sounded slightly embarrassed to admit this fact.

 

“Hi!” a kid shouted cheerily on the other end of the line, almost certainly the boy from last night.

 

“Steven says hi.” Mystery Woman echoed her son’s cheery comment. Clearly she was very proud of him.

 

Sheena, on the other hand, was confused. A grown woman, heck anyone older than 13, in this day and age without a phone? Okay, there were people who did live more hermetic or old fashioned lifestyles, but this nerdy rebel didn’t seem to fit that bill. _Heh. Rebel without a Phone._

 

“Okay, would he mind you borrowing it for Saturday?” Sheena asked.

 

“No, not at all!” The Woman replied after a pause, presumably to ask her son if it were okay to borrow his phone.

 

“Saturday at noon it is then.”

 

“Great! I’ll see you then, Ass.”

 

 

_...Did she just call me… Did I hear that right? ...No, that sounded more like… Ess? That just goes from insulting to incomprehensible._

 

“I’m sorry, what did you just call me?” Sheena asked for clarification, perhaps sounding more terse than she intended to.

 

“...Is your name just pronounced ‘Es’ or do i make a hissing sound?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I don’t know how to pronounce a name that’s a single consonant.”

 

“Single constant? Didn’t I put my name on the slip of paper I gave you?”

 

“You did, I just don’t know how to pronounce a name that’s just the letter S.”

 

Sheena facepalmed. _You just wrote your initial, didn’t you Sheena? Why didn’t you put your whole name down?_

 

“That’s not my name, just my first initial.” Sheena clarified.

 

“Oh. Then… I don’t even know your name.”

 

“My name is—“

 

“Pearl!” Steven’s voice shouted on the other end of the line.

 

“Oh no, not again!” The Mystery Girl sighs heavily as something in the background shrieks and hisses.

 

“What was that?” Sheena asked

 

“I… have to deal with something. Next Saturday. Noon. Big Donut. Right?”

 

“Right on the money.”

 

“I can memorize it, no need to write it down. especially not on currency with a cluttered design as is.”

 

“No, I mean you are correct.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Pearl! The Slinker! Help Please!” Another voice shouted on the other end. No doubt the Purple Girl from last night. _What did Ian call her again? It was just mentioned earlier in the call, too. Amethyst?_

 

“I’m on it!” The Mystery Girl—no, _Pearl_  replied to Amethyst before speaking one final time to Sheena: ”See you Saturday!”

 

And with that the call ended.

 

 

 

Her name was Pearl.

 

_…And she doesn’t know your name because you just put down your initial._

 

_Great._

 

Well, at least Sheena had a date. _So long as you don’t make an “S” of yourself next Saturday, you might actually have a good thing here…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah funny enough, Pearl’s awkward opening question is based on that pretty glaring inconsistency in the episode itself. Seriously, at The Big Donut she asks “Why would she do that?” then when at the party she says “I asked her about her hair, and then she asked how I colored mine.” This implies Pearl asked Mystery Girl HOW she dyed her hair instead of WHY, or else she would have asked Pearl why she’d dye her hair, not how.
> 
> Okay, I guess its not so much a glaring inconsistency so much as a nitpick I only have after seeing the episode enough times trying to nail down details, tone, and characterization of Chapter 2.
> 
> Now, due to some developments in The Big Show, Letters to Lars, and the (as of this writing) upcoming episode A Single Pale Rose, It may seem this and the next few chapters veer off the road of canon compliance. And while that isn’t an issue, I do have a narrative through line that will align with canon and intend to keep the fic canon compliant as long as possible. Sure, just saying this is now an AU would be easier, but those episodes have bits that did add depth to some future plot points for the fic and I relish the challenge of adapting to what the crewniverse throws at us next.


End file.
